Texas enters its season opener with a roster that looks balanced in some places and vulnerable in others, and the clearest example is the split between its receiver room and its linebacker depth. Ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Texas State, the Longhorns have a passing game that could give Arch Manning plenty to work with - but also a defensive group that may not have much margin for error.
The biggest reason for optimism sits out wide. Texas returns junior Ryan Wingo, who led the team with 834 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2025, and junior Emmett Mosley V, who added 408 yards in only nine games. Then there’s Auburn junior transfer Cam Coleman, whose 13 touchdowns across two seasons with the Tigers gives the group even more punch.
“Ryan and Arch, and Emmett and Arch, they’ve got banked reps,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Cam, I give him a lot of credit. He’s been very intentional to be close to Arch, and I think Arch has been intentional with him as well because they know they’ve got some ground to make up.”
Coleman rounds out a starting trio that gives Manning three established options before Texas even turns to a second wave of receivers. That next group includes sophomores Kaliq Lockett and Daylan McCutcheon, along with five-star freshman Jermaine Bishop Jr.
If the passing game looks deep, linebacker is the spot where the numbers feel a lot tighter. Texas was already thin there, and the dismissal of junior Ty’Anthony Smith only made things worse. Smith had 60 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions last season, production that would have mattered even more in 2026.
The Longhorns did add help through the portal and recruiting, including senior Rasheem Biles, who was named a preseason first-team All-Southeastern Conference player. Even so, the room does not leave much room for injuries or uneven play. Texas may have enough bodies right now, but the concern is what happens later in the year when SEC games start stacking up.
Then there’s the new look on the sideline, and that might be the most intriguing piece of all. Will Muschamp is back in Austin for his second stint on the Forty Acres after serving in the same role from 2008-10. Since then, he has been a head coach at Florida and South Carolina, and most recently worked as Georgia’s co-defensive coordinator during the Bulldogs’ back-to-back national title run.
Sarkisian has already pointed to Muschamp’s influence on the defense, especially the aggressive tone he brings. Junior edge Colin Simmons echoed that feeling when asked about the unit’s biggest strength.
“(Our) defensive coordinator,” Simmons said. “I feel like the coaches set the tone, and I feel like (when) Muschamp comes in each and every day, he’s setting the tone.”
In Other News...
Texas Fans Need To See This Change To A Marquee Home Stretch
Texas footballs home schedule is getting a subtle but meaningful shuffle over the next two seasons, with Texas Athletics confirming that four Longhorns home games will be moved up by one week after the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee approved an earlier start to the college football season. The adjusted slate includes 2027 matchups with New Mexico State, Michigan and UTEP, along with the 2028 game against Louisiana Tech, all of which now sit a week earlier on the calendar than originally planned.
For fans, it is the kind of change that can quietly alter the feel of a fall in Austin, especially with marquee opponents like Michigan still anchoring the home schedule. Texas also has the edge of history against each of those programs, which only adds to the anticipation whenever those dates come into view. The bigger question now is how the new timing will shape the flow of those seasons and the atmosphere around a home stretch that already had plenty of appeal. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Opener Could Decide Which Longhorns Earn Real Roles
The Longhorns still have a few jobs up for grabs as they head into the season opener against Texas State, and the first game should give Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood a real look at who is ready for more than a spot duty role. Among the players in that mix are Sikorski, Cojoe and Bishop, all of whom are trying to turn preseason competition into something more concrete once the games count.
Texas is using the opener as an evaluation point, especially for players looking to carve out meaningful snaps as the season moves along. Black is another name in that conversation after making a switch and trying to force his way into a bigger defensive role, while the staff will be watching closely to see which of these battles start to settle and which ones remain open well beyond Week 1. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Sarkisian Faces Pressure As SEC Roster Fight Keeps Escalating
The SECs latest roster fight has quickly become more than a rules debate, and Steve Sarkisian has put Texas squarely on one side of it. The Longhorns coach has publicly backed the leagues ruling that bars former professional athletes from joining college rosters, saying Texas will follow the policy even as other SEC coaches have pushed in a different direction by adding former NFL players.
The problem for Sarkisian is that the issue is no longer just about competitive advantage or roster management. It has already spilled into the legal system, with a Louisiana judge granting a preliminary injunction that sent the players back into college and the SEC filing a federal lawsuit against LSU. As the conference keeps fighting over where the line should be drawn, Texas is left trying to hold its stance while the rest of the league keeps testing the boundary. [Read more 🡒]